The Dead Wars Book One: Shade Rising
by theshadowhunter9
Summary: A young noble from Galabatorix's court discovers his parent's are murdered by the king's orders.Our protagonist, Decklan Valdis is one of the only sorcerers in the empire but a summoning gone awry could change his fate and that of the empire. Follow him as he fights the empire first from the shadows, then with the varden and eventually becomes a rider. Rated M for violence and lang
1. Early Life

**AN**: This is my first attempt at a fanfic so do not expect perfection. After all if that is what you want you can just buy the books. Thankfully Paolini has allowed us to play with his world on this site but I own nothing and no infringement is intended.

That out of the way this story will take place largely during the cannon inheritance cycle with many of our favorite (and least favorite) characters making a cameo in this story. I will change a bit of the cannon ending to fit how I see this story going into part 2 which will cover a post war empire and the start of another, very different war.

I am also going to be taking a few liberties with the way magic and sorcery function in this story but I hope to create a bit more lore into some of the lesser known types of magic (sorcery and spirits in particular) and even a fair bit of lore about the Grey Folk. If any of this sounds interesting then stay and read. If not then I totally understand. There are millions of stories from thousands of fandoms all over this site so if this isn't for you then keep looking for one that is.

Finally as with the original books text: _in italics represent thoughts and mental conversations. _Or the chapter intro quote

Thank you and feel free to review (flames are welcome too because hey who doesn't enjoy seeing someone wig out on the internet)

_"The New Empire rose from the ashes of Galbatorix's empire in the decade after the war. This new empire, under the leadership of Queen Nasuada, fell victim to the greatest failure of a victor. When the war was won the armies disbanded, the last of the loyalists thought destroyed, and the three surviving riders retreated. Eragon retreated to Vroenguard to begin reconstruction of the island city Doru Araeba to prepare for the new generation of riders who would eventually need training. Arya retreated with nearly all of her race to the forests of her people. Murtagh left for parts unknown._

_None remained to watch the land. The peoples of all races felt secure in their power, sure no one was left to destroy the peace so many had died to secure. However the king's death left a massive power vacuum. With Galbatorix dead and the new riders untested, a splinter group of rebels formed in the Empire and Surda in a grab for power. This group joined with several powerful individuals who feared the power of old king but now walked the land once more. This newly formed army would eventually lay siege to the Empire in the years that followed. The subsequent war would nearly destroy everything the Varden had fought for…."_ excerpt from The Dead Wars by Lord Decklan Valdis

Blades flashed in the light of the setting sun. Screams of the wounded and dying tore at the smoke obscured air. An arrow shattered against Decklan's wards followed by several more. It wouldn't be long before his wards failed completely. Around Decklan a dozen soldiers, clothed in the red uniform of the mad king's empire, closed in. With nowhere to run, surrounded on all sides by soldiers or houses, Decklan squared his shoulders and raised his longsword.

At a few inches over six feet tall, Decklan was taller than most seventeen year olds. His shoulder length, straight black hair and hard crimson eyes gave him a striking, dangerous appearance. He was quite thin, but hard muscles crossed his frame. He wore black boiled leather pants and coat over chainmail now stained and torn by the carnage of battle. Decklan looked quickly at the great citadel of Uru' baen where the rider Eragon was fighting the mad king. For some reason many spells backfired or failed entirely in the city since the varden laid siege. Likely the result of the king's wards throughout the city. With a feral grin he said, "I am not here for you. You should not have blocked my path."

Decklan raised his left hand and barked ,"risa du stenr". Surprisingly the simple spell worked. Five fist sized stones broke free of the cobblestone street and, at his command, smashed into the Empire's servants. With an animal yell, Decklan charged the soldiers. The magic took a toll on his strength, as with all human magicians, but the spirits he commanded through sorcery enhanced his power. The young man swung his sword up in an arc over his head and slashed down through the armor of two soldiers. With speed that rivaled an elf, Decklan flashed in an out of the enemy ranks, cutting down soldiers with quick, controlled movements of his blade. In less than a minute, the fight was over. Decklan stood panting in a back alley of a wealthy district in Urû'baen. He looked up toward a grey stone manor a few hundred paces up the street from him. With a grim look he thought, "I am coming for you."

Chapter One: Early Life

Ten years earlier

Decklan rose early, as he had nearly everyday in his life, and dressed in a fine grey tunic and black woolen pants. At seven years old he stood nearly four and a half feet tall. He was always tall for his age which, combined with his long black hair and piercing blue eyes, gave him a mature look for one so young. He had high cheekbones, fair skin, and a noble set to his jaw. His father, Duke Zander Valdis, had always told Decklan, "A noble must always look strong and determined, even when we are not. Especially when we are not."

Decklan closed the door of his oak wardrobe and tidied his room. His room was large and well decorated with paintings and fine wool rugs. His furnishings consisted of a large bed, a wooden desk and chair for studying with his tutors, a wash basin, a small wash closet and privy, and a small couch. His father always caned him if his room was less than perfectly clean, even though the family had cleaning staff.

With the room clean, Decklan pulled on fine leather boots and belted on a high quality long knife. He had asked for a sword on his name day last year but his mother, Lady Renna had insisted he was far too young for anything but a wooden training blade. Decklan's older brother Dante had received his sword on his tenth birthday. The brothers had both started training with wooden blades around their seventh year so Decklan was still a beginner but his brother, now eleven had enough skill to match nearly any other noble child and even a few recruit soldiers or house guards.

Decklan closed the door to his room and met his brother in the hall. The manor was not particularly large as it was the family's estate in Urû'baen. Their larger home was Valdis Hall in Dras Leona, where Duke Valdis ruled at the pleasure of King Galbatorix. The king had issued an edict ordering the prominent nobility back to the capital. There were rumors going around the nobility that the Varden and Surda were growing bolder. Now that his family was living in the capital Zander had tripled his children's' training regimen. Both brothers trained in history, science, mathematics, writing, trade, and many other scholarly pursuits. In addition they trained in the sword and bow as well as mental defenses. Both brothers could touch the minds of others, though Dante was far better than his younger brother in this skill, and Decklan trained in magic while Dante could not use magic. Decklan also began training in sorcery with his mother. Their father, Duke Zander could use magic,though only the weakest of spells, but was accomplished with a blade.

In the long corridor, Decklan looked in jealousy at Dante's short sword, strapped to the boy's hip. Dante was of a more average height for his age but was built like a bull. Even at eleven, Dante was well muscled and had the cunning of a man far older. Unlike his younger brother, Dante had his mother's curly brown hair and grey eyes. The brothers nodded to each other and walked toward the kitchens. The windows in the lavish corridor showed the faintest rays of the sun rise.

Upon reaching the kitchens the young future lords were each presented a platter of eggs, bacon, fresh bread, and fruit. They ate quickly, speaking little. Dante had sword practice at dawn with several other noble children. Decklan had to meet with Tutor Kalv in the library for training in magic. Decklan finished first and bid his brother good luck in his swordsmanship classes before he rushed to the library.

Tutor Kalv sat in a plush chair in the library when Decklan entered. The library was a large room with nearly a dozen five foot tall shelves full of books and scrolls squatting on soft maroon carpet. The walls were made of dark paneled wood cut from trees on the edge of Du Weldenvarden. Five desks for reading were scattered around the chamber along with half a dozen plush chairs.

Decklan walked to the short, rail of a man relaxing in a chair and bowed before standing straight and clasping his hands behind his back. Tutor Kalv had grey hair that was once blonde with a greying full beard. The man stood and said, "What is the true name of air?" Decklan thought quickly, remembering his assignments for the previous day and said, "Vindr, sir"

"What is the name of water?" Decklan immediately said, "adurna"

Kalv inclined his head and said, "You are alone in the wilderness after several days of travel. You are exhausted, hungry and weak. Snow is beginning to descend and you need warmth. You have collected wood for a fire. How do you start one?" Decklan answered immediately, "I would call on my power and say 'istalri' to ignite the wood." Kalv shook his head and said, "Take a lap of the yard and consider again. When you return tell me what should be done"

Decklan bowed again and sprinted out of the side door to the library. The boy sprinted to the tall stone wall surrounding the manor. There was a path worn into the grass along the wall from Decklan and Dante running laps as punishment for failing a test or assignment. Decklan tried to concentrate on the question posed by his tutor while sprinting the half mile route along the wall. He was breathing hard by the halfway mark but did not dare to slow. If he walked he would be forced to run another lap.

Decklan returned to the library and again stood before Kalv. The wizened man raised an eyebrow and asked, "so what is the correct answer?" Decklan opened his mouth but froze before he could speak. With a start, the boy realized he had missed two things. First Tutor Kalv had described a scenario in which he was tired and weak. No one would be using magic in that state. Second Decklan had not asked any follow up questions. Acting on instinct the boy asked, "Do I have flint and steel?" The old man nodded with a small smile. "Well done. Yes you would have flint and steel. Never depend only on magic. It is useful but costly. Always use mundane means to accomplish your goals if possible. You have an adept mind, young lord, but you are not, nor will you ever be, the strongest of magicians.

Cunning will overcome nearly all foes even those stronger than you. Learn to see an issue from all sides and then act. Always remember that it is not the strongest or fastest warrior who will win. It's the most flexible warrior who wins. Always be adaptable. Seek information before acting. An informed decision is nearly always better than a hasty one.

Your spell should also be worded better if you were intending to create fire. You have a gift young lord. You may be able to cast spells with few words but that is a dangerous technique. Word your spells as a process if possible to ensure you can end the spell if it fails, else it may drain you and you pass into the void. Correctly you should word it similar to : verma thornessa kvistr"

Decklan continued with his magic and academic training for nearly three hours before breaking for lunch. Dante was leaving the kitchen as Decklan entered. The older boy had several red welts on his face and arms from the blunted training swords he had been using all morning. Decklan inwardly winced at the sight.

Done with a quick meal, Decklan made his way to the training yard in one corner of the estate. This was his least favorite part of the day, while no slouch with a blade it was not his strongest skill. Decklan went to a rack containing wooden training swords and picked out his blade. The wood sword was the size of a hand and a half blade for an adult but was a two handed sword in Decklan's young hands.

A young man of about seventeen was waiting inside a dirt square fifteen feet to a side, marked off with a bit of string. Behind the square the tall ornate wall marking the border of the manor lay nearly eight feet tall. Decklan entered the square and inclined his head to the sandy haired squire who would be sparing with him. Tutor Kalv stood five paces beyond the square with Captain Gand, captain of the house guard.

The stocky, bald captain oversaw the martial training of the Valdis brothers. The captain said, "Today you will spar with squire Elgen. He is significantly better with a blade then you but if you use your head as well as your blade you may just triumph. While you dual master Kalv will be attempting to breach your mental defenses."

Decklan glowered at the squire. He hated fighting while defending his mind. Both he and his brother were prodigies in mental combat but Decklan was not nearly as good as his brother and would be hard pressed to split his focus.

Decklan strode over to a wooden table just outside one corner of the dirt square. He shrugged out of his tunic leaving him in a light undershirt. Decklan had been allowed to choose his own swordsmanship style and so chose to decline any padded armor shirts. He preferred to be light on his feet instead of slow and protected.

Decklan closed his eyes for a couple breaths and tightened his mental defenses. He would use several tricks to keep his mind unfettered that most would never consider. Ready, Decklan squared off with squire Elgen.

Elgen attached immediately with a diagonal slash to Decklan's chest. Instead of blocking Decklan stepped left and forward into the squire's guard. With his left hand Decklan pushed the boy's sword hilt into his body while with his right he raised his training sword to slash at Elgen's exposed legs. Elgen was stronger than Decklan expected however and he managed to push Decklan back with his free hand.

As Decklan stumbled back a mental attack dove into his defences. Decklan focused to ignore the attack and charged at the squire. "Kalv is going to break through my defenses if I do not focus." The young noble emptied his mind of all but the swords flashing and movement of his body. Tutor Kalv would get nothing from his mind but a void, empty of all emotion.

The two exchanged blows for nearly twenty minutes with Decklan being marked several times while he was unable to touch the squire. Decklan began to tire and knew he would not be able to best the squire while also focusing on his mental defenses. Decklan thought back to his lessons with Tutor Kalv when the old man had said, "Battles are not won with defense alone. Where others see hindrances you must see opportunity."

With a sudden flash of inspiration Decklan knew how to win. When Kalv sent another mental attack his way Decklan grabbed hold of the mental spike while also grabbing hold of squire Elgen's unprotected thoughts. With a mental shove Decklan forced the two into each other mixing their thoughts and identities and sent his own thoughts into the turmoil. Elgen let out a high, girlish scream and grabbed the sides of his head, dropping his sword and falling to his knees. Tutor Kalv stumbled back from where he watched, as if punched. While the two tried to regain the shattered pieces of their identities, Decklan brought his knee into the kneeling squire's nose, breaking it, blood spraying from the injury.

Elgen moaned for a moment before looking up at Decklan and saying, "You cheated. I would have beat you." Decklan smiled coldly and said, "Yet you did not. You are the better swordsman, if we were dueling at tourney but war is not tourney. Victory by any means. Honor and etiquette matter little when you lose. War is not a game Elgen. I shall not play the game of empire by any rules but my own." Decklan turned and walked to retrieve his shirt. Tomorrow he would train with the captain in technical forms but every other day was a duel to see how much Decklan had retained.

Captain Gand watched Decklan with a blank expression but internally he was worried. Dante was the more cunning and better fighter but Decklan had a dark streak. A part of him that would never bend only break. Decklan would do things in training that would show hints of the brutal man he may one day become. Gand supposed it was the result of the eight to ten hours of training the boy was forced into six and sometimes seven days a week.

Duke Zander was not a cruel man but he was strict. He would allow no failure in his sons to go unpunished and never showed any sort of human emotions to the boys. The duke was a cold and distant man who was quick to point out failures in his children but rarely showed approval or pride. Their mother was far more warm but she did nothing to prevent or reduce the ridiculous training the boys underwent.

Gand's thoughts were interrupted when Dante arrived with his tutor, Tutor Yidoria, a short pudgy man with a perpetual scowl and thinning greasy brown hair. The brothers exchanged nods as Decklan muttered a brief spell to heal the worst of the welts he received.

Dante glanced at Elgen's bloody face as he walked off toward the staff housing and chuckled. In a quiet voice he said, "Looks like you gave him quite the thrashing little brother." Decklan nodded and said, "Yes but got a bastard of a headache for it. I used a new mental combat technique. I'll show it to you sometime."

Tutor Kalv interrupted their discussion by handing Decklan a parchment. Tutor Yidoria did the same for Dante. It was their homework assignment for the evening. The tutors bid the pair farewell and walked off toward the main estate gate onto the market street.

Decklan tucked the sheet away in a belt pouch and waited for Captain Gand to give the pair instructions on the physical exercises they would engage in for the next hour. The pair ran laps, did several sets of situps and pushups, ran through a small agility course and ended by running laps again.

Decklan reached the end of the last lap panting to find his father waiting. Duke Zander looked down at the boys and gave them a perfunctory nod before interrogating Gand on their progress. After, Zander turned to the boys and ordered another two laps around the manor because, "battles do not end when you are tired and the way events are transpiring in our empire we may be at war with Surda soon. You must be ready."

The brother's retreated to their rooms to bathe and redress in fine clothes for dinner, then together, made their way to the richly appointed dining room. Lady Renna sat to the right of her husband, chocolate hair curled over a burgundy dress. She smiled at the brothers who bowed slightly and took their seats to the left of their father. Renna's grey eyes, normally bright and cheerful, showed fatigue as she continued her conversation with Zander. Decklan did not catch most of it but what he did understand sounded like trouble.

The king had shown an interest in Renna's skill with sorcery and was pressing her to join his service. All magicians were rare but those who could summon and command spirits with success were even more valuable. Renna had an innate ability to summon spirits not often seen. Decklan knew how to accomplish several different forms of summonings but had been forbidden from attempting any actual summonings until he was stronger.

The boys spoke little at the meal, opting to listen to their parents discussing the days happenings and any news of note among the other nobles. A man by the name of Jode, who lived in Terim, had agreed to a shipping contract with their father to export rare minerals and goods all over the empire from his family's mines. Decklan possessed near perfect recall that allowed him to listen to his parents conversation while mentally going through his assignments for the night. It would not do to perform poorly on his history test with Tutor Kalv.

He may have an incredible ability to remember but this memory had drawbacks. While Decklan could remember nearly everything he had read and, to a lesser extent, nearly every lesson he had with his tutor, he did not have the experience to always choose the right course of action with this gift. Knowing the words of power to create a spell does not necessarily mean he would have the inspiration to combine those words into a functioning spell.

The family meal done, Decklan and Dante retreated to their rooms, pausing to bid each other a good rest. Decklan sat at his desk, quill in hand, and completed the assignments he had been left by Tutor Kalv. The sun was nearly set when Decklan practiced a few of the harder incantations he had learned, and crawled into his bed, exhausted. He turned to the candle he left on his desk and raising his left hand said, "letta". The room went dark. Decklan sighed. Tomorrow would be just as taxing.


	2. Capture

**AN**: This is my first attempt at a fanfic so do not expect perfection. After all if that is what you want you can just buy the books. Thankfully Paolini has allowed us to play with his world on this site but I own nothing and no infringement is intended.

That out of the way this story will take place largely during the cannon inheritance cycle with many of our favorite (and least favorite) characters making a cameo in this story. I will change a bit of the cannon ending to fit how I see this story going into part 2 which will cover a post war empire and the start of another, very different war.

I am also going to be taking a few liberties with the way magic and sorcery function in this story but I hope to create a bit more lore into some of the lesser known types of magic (sorcery and spirits in particular) and even a fair bit of lore about the Grey Folk. If any of this sounds interesting then stay and read. If not then I totally understand. There are millions of stories from thousands of fandoms all over this site so if this isn't for you then keep looking for one that is.

Finally as with the original books text: _in italics represent thoughts and mental conversations. _Or the chapter intro quote

Thank you and feel free to review (flames are welcome too because hey who doesn't enjoy seeing someone wig out on the internet)

Chapter 2: Capture

_"The day I lost my family taught me many lessons. I learned hate, not the hot, loud anger we have all seen. No I learned true hate is a cold emptiness. A void that no amount of wine or gold can dull or fill. In the years following, I would try to fill that void with a tidal wave of Imperial blood…" _excerpt from The Dead Wars written by Lord Decklan Valdis.

Decklan ducked under the sword and returned a slash of his own towards his opponents chest. Dante blocked the blow from his little brother and kicked at his chest, Decklan spun to avoid the kick. The boys were both large for their ages, Decklan now thirteen and Dante seventeen. Decklan stood at nearly six feet and Dante, a couple inches shorter but with more hard lean muscle on him then most men twice his age would ever be lucky to have.

Dante was, without a doubt, the better swordsman, and not just because of his age, Dante had a true gift with the blade. Decklan knew he was going to lose this fight if he did not improvise. Decklan may be younger and the lesser swordsman but he had a crafty nature. Thinking quickly, Decklan felt the corner of a plan begin to take shape in his mind. With a few well timed slips and slight pauses he had Dante convinced he was running out of stamina, which was not all false. Decklan timed his moment and stepped back just as Dante stabbed toward him.

Decklan reached out with his left hand, quick as quick, and grabbed his brothers wrist, pulling it forward further locking it straight. With a grunt, Decklan brought his left knee up into the back of his brother's buckling the joint. Dante stumbled forward a half step. Decklan swung the pommel of his blade at his brothers head. Before the blow could connect Dante managed to grasp his brothers arm and with a grunt threw Decklan clear over himself. Decklan's, world inverted and he found himself winded and on his back. He hadn't seen his brother move, or ever seen anyone move, so fast before.

Dante held out his hand and assisted his little brother to his feet. Decklan gave a small smile and shook his head, "That's a new one brother. I have never seen that move before."

Dante nodded with a slight smirk, "I have been working on new techniques. I met with Murtagh a few days ago and he showed me that combination."

Decklan did not know what to make of his brother's best friend, Murtagh. His father, Morzan, had one of the worst people the boy ever read about. Morzan was prone to drinking too much and outbursts of anger but, as one of the few surviving riders, he had been feared. Murtagh, however, was nothing like his father. Murtagh was quiet and did not go about with pride and arrogance like many nobles. Following the rider's death, Murtagh had been largely left alone by the entire nobility, the king included.

The brothers finished their training around midday, having been given a half day of free time by their father. As they were walking back to their rooms to clean up Dante asked, "I am going to head to Lord Orlanth's estate for a while. A few of our peers are getting together for a while if you want to come." Decklan showed a small smile as he said, "Getting close with the count's daughter, Lady Kelsi? How will father handle it if you marry down in the peerage? Thanks for the invite but I am going to read a bit of a book father received on lend from the royal library."

Dante smirked at his little brother. He had been visiting with the youngest daughter of Count Orlanth for a few months and many suspected he would be marrying her within the next few years. He had already approached his father about the issue a few days ago in private and to his surprise his father took it well. The count had become his father's closest friend in the capitol.

Decklan decided he should visit a shop to buy parchment and more ink before he studied the book he had waiting in his room. The young noble retrieved a clean white shirt, navy blue over coat and black wool pants. With a muttered spell, Decklan cleaned himself and pulled on the clean clothes. Tossing the soiled clothes into a basket for the maid to clean, Decklan walked out of his room. With a pause at his door, Decklan decided to leave his sword in his room for the time being.

Out on the streets of Urû'baen, Decklan maintained a swift gait toward a shop three blocks down. A boy with cropped blonde hair and blue eyes smiled and ran to catch up with Decklan as he passed a small but richly appointed stone manor. The boy bowed slightly and said, "Lord Decklan, fancy seeing you here." Decklan rolled his eyes before responding, "Aspien good to see you too."

The blonde's fair skin wrinkled into a frown as he, in a mock angry voice, said, "My lord I am the son of Count Lavar Aspien. You may refer to me as Lord Aspien or my lord." Aspien broke down into snickers of laughter and Decklan smirked slightly. The two had been friends since the duke moved his family to the capital from their home in Dras Leona. Decklan was trained in court etiquette from a young age and appeared to all the world as a polite, friendly noble. In truth he cared little for most of his peers and felt no impulse to befriend most of the children his age.

Aspien was a different story though. Decklan had been seven when the two met and he was surprised to find the young future count was open and did not play the games of the nobility. For a young boy drowning in the expectations of his parents and his peers, Aspien offered a friendship that was not predicated on what could be gained.

Aspien followed Decklan through the small crowd of shoppers in the street as the taller boy led the way to the shop. As the pair walked Aspien asked, "Where are you off to in such a rush?"

Decklan responded with a rare genuine smile saying, "My father acquired a book on an introduction to alchemy from the royal library. I have very little knowledge on natural sciences but the concept of combining plants, animals, and minerals to create poultices and potions is intriguing. I want to have plenty of materials to take notes on the book before father returns it in two days. Then I can study my notes when I have time."

Aspien looked slightly horrified at the thought of extra studies as he said, "You are forced to study nearly all day for most of the week. Don't you want to take a break at some point? You will come of age in a couple years. Have you even tried to see if one of the young women catches your eye?" Aspien's blue eyes lit with mirth at his last question. In the last few months the blonde had gone from seeing his female friends as slightly annoying to seeing them as beautiful. Decklan had to listen to his friend speak for hours on who was so "stunning in that gown." It was taxing.

Decklan glared slightly down at Aspien as he grumbled, "I enjoy learning. Knowledge is the truest power. Not gold, not militaries, not magic. Knowledge is power and I will use it to shape the world around me. As for romance, yes I agree that Lady Astrid was truly stunning at her coming of age celebration but she is several years older than either of us. I have far to much to learn before I am ready to look for romance."

The pair had had this conversation before but Decklan had learned most boys became infatuated with girls at this age. While he could acknowledge their growing beauty he felt no need to pursue the girls with his friends single minded determination. The situation was only made worse by Aspien's incredible ability to charm anyone he met. With his nearly white blonde hair, clear blue eyes, and charming smile, most people took an instant liking to the boy. Aspien would spend his off nights walking the capital and shops spending large amounts of money and attempting to flirt with any young women he saw. Decklan grimaced slightly thinking of his best friend's annoying pastime.

Decklan gestured to a squat wooden building with ornate stained windows. "This is the place. I am told that my family has been invited to a dinner with the king tonight. I will be attending but will be free tomorrow night. Will I meet you at the theater?" Aspien nodded and bid his friend farewell saying he would be at the theater around fifth bell. The capitol had regular visits from several traveling caravans of circus actors. Nearly any week of the summer had a visit by jugglers, dancers, bards, and on occasion a wild animal from distant lands would be shown.

Waving farewell, Decklan stepped into the shop. The air smelled of books and paper, with a slight tang from the ink vats. The cramped shop was filled with books on shelves and scrolls in recessed alcoves. A fat jolly man with slightly red cheeks under bushy gray hair sat behind a counter spanning one wall of the shop. He stared intently at a book he was copying with a quill. Decklan approached the counter stepping over piles of books on the shop's dusty wood floor. The man finally looked up from his book and smiled. He stood with a grunt and said, "Lord Decklan, a pleasure to see you as always. What can I get for you today? I received a new book on botany if you are interested?"

Decklan bowed slightly saying, "Master Amaund I will take that book from you but I am also in need of three ounces of ink and fifty sheets of your finest parchment. As usual bill it to my father's estate. He is always willing to pay for my educational requirements." With a faked charming smile he said, "If only I could convince him fund my trips to the carnival. I swear the performances get more expensive every week."

Amaund chuckled as he moved to gather his order. Decklan had learned a couple important lessons in the last few years: manners are free and if people like you they will be more willing to assist you." The young man put special effort into maintaining a good relationship with several shop owners and most of his house's staff. All except squire Elgen who had never forgiven the young lord for humiliating him three years earlier.

Decklan collected his items from the shopkeeper and bid him a good day. Moving quickly the young lord approached his house when suddenly two things occurred in rapid succession. Decklan felt a sudden toll on his strength as a ward, one to prevent himself from being scryed, activated. Decklan froze as mere moments after his ward activated he felt the minds of several soldiers in his manor.

Ducking the manner wall he closed his eyes and reached out with his mind to examine the manor. None of the family was present in the house and, sickeningly the soldiers appeared to be killing all of the staff. The boy could feel the panic and fear from the minds of the soldiers. "_I need my sword. Tutor Kalv is also in the manor. If I can get to him I am sure he could help me make sense of what is happening." _

With this thought, Decklan sprinted to the south wall of the manor. Furrowing his brow in concentration he reached for his power and murmured, "Reisa edtha audr." The spell took effect immediately, lifting him over the eight foot tall wall of the manor. The toll on his energy was significant, especially for one so young. Decklan released the spell with a gasp as he dropped onto the soft grass in a corner of the small garden his mother ordered built.

Despite his attempt at stealth, three soldiers saw the young lord drop into the grass. The three, garbed in the red of the king's army, approached the boy with thinly disguised menace. The shortest, a man with an ugly hooked nose and bald head, smiled in a nearly acceptable attempt at charm. He said, "My lord you are needed at once. The king has discovered varden spies in the city. Your family has already gone ahead to the palace for their protection."

Decklan glared as he thought, "_If this was true, my father would have waited behind to ensure my safety. Also why are the soldiers killing the staff?" _Reaching out with his mind, Decklan attempted to read the thoughts of this ugly man. As soon as their minds met Decklan knew he had made a mistake. "_This man is a magician!" _

In the brief moments their minds had been connected before the magician closed his mind, Decklan saw enough to know this was no escort. The soldiers were sent to capture or kill him. The magician staggered back and with a snarl said, "Grab the little shit!" The two other soldiers charged with no more than ten feet to close the gap. Without hesitation the boy knew he needed to act or he would be taken. Frowning deeply in concentration, Decklan lashed out with his mind. The two soldiers stopped immediately as they had no mental defenses. The magician stiffened and fell completely still as he stared at the boy. For nearly twenty seconds Decklan fought off the magician. Then one of the soldiers fell screaming as decklan's attack ravaged his mind.

The magician made the critical mistake of glancing at the man as he fell. With a mental roar, Decklan smashed through the man's defenses. In a low growl Decklan said, "I am the son of Duke Zander. You dare to attack me in my own home? You should have brought more soldiers I think." The magician was attempting to push Decklan out of his mind but it was to no avail. The young lord, though not his brother's equal, was truly skilled in mental combat. With a sadistic smile Decklan forced the magician to kill his associates with a spell. When the soldiers dropped Decklan retrieved one of their swords and beheaded the magician.

Standing over the man, all the adrenaline left his blood,and Decklan leaned over to wretch on the grass. While he knew how deadly magic and swords could be to a body, the boy had not expected to take a life this day. Straightening, he ran toward the window to his room. A quick mental scan showed no soldiers in his room. Placing his left hand on the window and whispering, "ládrin du laesa," the latch popped open.

Five minutes later the young noble had his sword belted at his waist and a chest containing several hundred gold coins tucked under his arm. Running along the wall to the south he again passed the corpses of the three soldiers but forced his mind on his task. Coming to a bench set among colorful roses, he placed the chest on the ground. Reaching into for his power the boy intoned, "sharjalví du deloi." The soft soil flowed away from a growing hole under the bench. Swaying from the loss of energy, Decklan placed the small chest in the hole before repeating his incantation and covering the spot. Quietly he ran back to his window thinking, "_Now we will have some gold hidden. We can retrieve it after I find my family. I will free Tutor Kalv and together we will free my family."_

Using his window again to enter the house, Decklan drew his sword and stalked toward the library. The sword was a simple two sided blade with a one-handed black leather grip and silver wrapped pommel. He preferred a two handed longsword or at least a hand-and-a-half sword but he was not strong enough to wield one for more than half a mark before becoming exhausted.

Finally the boy stood outside the door that lead into the library. From what he could tell two soldiers were inside talking to Tutor Kalv but no magicians. Steeling himself, the noble burst through the door and covered the three feet between him and the nearest soldier. Two slashes from his blade later and the man fell dead. Decklan turned to face the other soldier but was surprised to see Kalv was neither bound nor appeared happy at the death of his captor. The tutor shook his head gently and said, "You should have just gone with the soldiers boy. Now you have killed three soldiers, which can be overlooked, but the death of one of our kings magicians will not be ignored."

Kalv then seemed to straighten as he nodded at the remaining soldier. Continuing the old man said, "You have applied your lessons well but you are exhausted and the king has ordered you brought to the palace. I am truly sorry my young friend." Gesturing with his hand, Kalv said four lines in the ancient language so fast and quietly that Decklan could not grasp their meaning. The drain on his wards was immediate and massive. With the boy already exhausted his wards failed outright in less than a breath. The last thing Decklan saw before he blacked out was the sad blue eyes of his tutor.

**TRANSLATIONS**

Reisa edtha audr- Lift me up

ládrin du laesa- open the lock

sharjalví du deloi- move the soil


End file.
